Food sector braces for ASEAN common market

MANILA, Philippines - Companies in the Philippines are urged to start coming up with strategies on how to take advantage of the common Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) market as it moves towards economic integration by 2015. 

An offshoot of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) ratified by the country in 1994, the ASEAN Economic Community will present investment opportunities for Philippine firms both locally and region-wide. 

With this in mind, local companies should start formulating strategies to capitalize on the ASEAN common market and production base with the free movement of goods, services, labor and capital. 

For the food sector, the Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization (Philfoodex) Inc., will lead the way,through the Philippine Food Expo set on May 16-18 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. 

Now on its 12th edition, the expo will highlight the innovations and trends in the food industry that an economically-integrated Southeast Asian region will bring, and how local food players can take advantage of these changes to remain competitive. 

According to Philfoodex president Roberto Amores, the event will be a most ideal venue for sourcing and business matching for local and foreign food industry players since the country has many export-quality products still unknown to the world market. 

Regarded as the “Only All-Filipino Food Show” the Philippine Food Expo is a must-visit event for ordinary Filipino consumers, to international traders and importers of food products. 

The three-day exhibit will also feature a series of technical and business sessions, product demonstrations and special events.

The Philippine Food Expo is organized by Philfoodex Inc., in cooperation with the Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport), the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), the Bureau of Agricultural Research, Far Eastern University, and BCS Systems and Technologies. 

Media Partners are The Philippine STAR, The Foreign Post, Business Mirror and Cook Magazine.